The invention relates to bases for use in the game of baseball and more particularly to safety bases.
The game of baseball involves the use of square canvas-covered bags or bases at three of the four corners of the baseball diamond. Players must safely reach these bases prior to the arrival of the ball or prior to the tagging of the player and so often a player will slide into the bag at considerable speed to avoid the tag. Previously, the bases have been rigidly secured to the ground using a spike. The problem with such method is that the runner sliding into the base at high speed may be injured due to the impact with the rigid base.
Consequently, various safety bases have been developed which break free from their attachment to the ground when sufficient lateral force is applied to the base. For example, Hall U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,768 discloses a breakaway safety base in which the base is secured to a ground support by resilient deformable interengageable members carried on both the base and support and which form a number of connections securing the base to the support. Sufficient lateral forces on the base shear the connections, freeing the base.
Fatool U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,199 discloses a safety base in which the lower element is secured to the ground by two spikes. The ground support element is T-shaped and fits within a recess in the bottom of the base. Selliken U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,756 discloses a magnetically attached baseball base. There is a sunken T-shaped member with an upper surface plate which is installed flush with the ground surface. Four magnets are provided on each corner of the plate and there is an x-shaped rib formed on the upper surface of the plate for locating the base.
Meggs U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,403 discloses a baseball base having a ferromagnetic metal plate on the underside of the base which is secured to an anchor member having magnetic bands.
A problem with these various designs is that they are relatively difficult to install, generally requiring permanent installation of the base anchor member, and are also relatively expensive to purchase. Consequently they are not practical for amateur baseball teams who carry their own bases to each game for installation on a new diamond for each game. There is therefore a need for a simple, inexpensive and easily installed breakaway safety base.